Thursday, July 19, 2012

Briar Patch Has A New Owner

Briar Patch (L) and OneEighty (R)
Looking like brother and sister
In June, 2012 BriarPatch got a new owner, Matt Fortner and family.  Matt came down to Gulf Shores one sunny weekend in June from Oxford, Mississippi with a list of boats to look at, hoping he would find "the" one and take it home.  We went out for one of those afternoon sails that, when you least expect it, becomes one of those memorable, perfect-day sails where you wonder why everyone isn't out doing this.  It was such the perfect day, that two things happened,  one, he decided he wanted to buy the boat (though he hadn't told me that yet) and two, I had about decided on that perfect day, that I didn't want to sell it. When we got back to the dock, however, and I saw my other boat tied up in the slip I was abruptly reminded why I must sell her.  Matt left, came back that evening and we struck a deal and shook on it.  Yeah, we "shook" on it.  I like doing that, it makes me feel like things are being done like my granddad did back in the 50's in the old south.  After all, Matt was from "Ole Miss" and although they may not have football perfectly figured out at the moment, I figured this guy knew how to shake on a deal.  He did.  It worked.  Transaction complete! (though later we did sign a bill-of-sale which is required in the state of Alabama).
We kept the boat at our dock until Matt could get his crew and time lined up, and on June 22, he departed Sailboat Bay in Gulf Shores for a ~500 mile maiden voyage  North up Mobile Bay then up the Tenn Tom waterway to Pickwick Lake.
Matt kept me posted via email and texts as the voyage progressed, and approximately 8 days later both he and I were releived that he had arrived safely, with no major breakages.  It is a boat you know.  I hope and trust that he and his family had a memorable cruise that they will long remember, and will serve as the first of many great times they have on Briar Patch. 

So I won't be posting any more on this BriarPatch blog, everything from now on will be on www.sailingoneeighty.blogspot.com.  Goin' South.
over and out: Charlie.

Friday, January 6, 2012

New Years and New Bottom


See the new bottom paint

Warm on the inside

Susie and I headed to Gulf Shores for New Years 2012 and wouldn't you know it, the cold front of the year pushed down South and chilled the Gulf.  Although it was cold outsied, we stayed warm inside.  We had just put BriarPatch back in the water after being out on the hard almost all of December.  While out for general bottom job paint and maintenance, we replaced the old thruhulls that didn't get replaced last time out.  We now have new thruhulls and hoses for the head and all it's plumbing. That's one of those things that you don't think about very much, unless you are at sea and discover 3 feet of water in your bilge.  This will make me sleep better knowing I have solid thruhulls even though I can't see them.  I much prefer spending money on things that make the boat look pretty, so I just have to pretend that the new fittings are pretty. 
Isn't this pretty?